GCR Live Women in Antitrust

Coverage

Acknowledging that outsiders often perceive that China’s three competition authorities as favouring Chinese companies and national interests, JunHe partner Yingling Wei denied that populism has had a visible effect on antitrust enforcement in China.

The former deputy chief economist of the European Commission's Directorate-General for Internal Market and Industry has said antitrust enforcers could use the degradation of privacy as proof of competitive harm, but would also have to show that data collection stemmed from market power.

At the inaugural GCR Live Women in Antitrust last week, a host of the world's top practitioners, economists, academics and enforcers came together for discussion and debate at the Williard Intercontinental in Washington, DC.

The head of Mexico’s competition authority called for “smart regulation” as a tool to promote competition in the Mexican market last week, but acting US Federal Trade Commission chairman Maureen Ohlhausen warned that excessive regulation could dampen competition.

A panel of experts, including former US Department of Justice acting antitrust head Renata Hesse, have lamented the development of unilateral conduct cases in Europe, and voiced concerns that the European Commission may be motivated by politics and public relations.

Chairs

Kristina Nordlander has a thriving EU competition, litigation and regulatory practice, representing major companies in a variety of sectors, including e-commerce, life sciences, financial services and payments, technology and chemicals.

Edith Ramirez, former Chairwoman of the U.S. Federal Trade Commission (FTC), is co-head of the Antitrust and Competition practice and a partner in the Privacy and Cybersecurity practice. She has long been a strong presence in the international competition and privacy arena.

With political rhetoric in the developed world taking on a strong nationalist, anti-globalisation hue, what will be the impact on competition policy? What have we learned about US public enforcement in the Trump Administration in 2017? What about the EU's focus on fairness, including in corporate taxation? To what extent should governments globally consider public interest facets such as employment, environment or ‘industrial policy' in enforcement of competition law?

In the US, Trump's seeming aim of dismantling the administrative state is in full swing, whereas in the EU, enforcement is if anything broadening - and post-Brexit, one can arguably expect even heavier regulation from the EU27. With this seeming tension between the two major regulatory approaches to competition law, what is the future for convergence and cooperation between the world's authorities? Where should agencies and counsel from developing economies look for leadership when different approaches emerge?

"I thought the quality was very high & indicated a high level of preparation and thought. I also enjoyed the diverse perspectives with private practicioners, in house & government speakers often on each panel"